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Arnold Schwarzenegger Won’t Return For Expendables 4 Without Stallone

Recently, it was reported that famed actor Sylvester Stallone was departing “The Expendables” movie franchise. Despite being instrumental in launching the series, the actor found himself clashing with producer Avi Lerner. The two were unable to reach compromises in regards to the script, visual effects, or even a director, and Stallone left the project despite the company already planning a fourth installment.

Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger has come out to express his thought on whether he’d return to do “The Expendables 4” without Stallone. “There is no Expendables without Sly,” the actor too Entertainment Weekly. “I would never do a movie without him, no.”

Schwarzenegger, who played the character of Trench in the first three “Expendables” films, went on to explain that regardless of the situation with Stallone, he hasn’t been made aware of details about the proposed fourth movie. “I have not seen the script; I don’t even know if there is a script, even though they want to shoot in August again, like they usually do.”

Still, should a deal be reached and Sylvester Stallone does agree to be a part of the fourth movie, Schwarzenegger insisted even then he might not show up unless he felt his character was properly developed; a grievance he had with “The Expendables 3” back in 2014.

“You know, I think the first and second one were terrific, but, the third one, I thought my part was not written well,” he said. “It was also not playing well in the movie, as far as I was concerned. Maybe other people believed differently. But I didn’t believe that I had any value in the movie. I love the franchise, by the way. I think it’s a spectacular franchise, The Expendables. I think that Sly has good ideas, what he wants to do with it, and I think if they write a really good script [in] which my part is very well-developed, I would do it. If not, then I won’t do it.”

“The Expendables,” which was co-written and directed by Stallone, surprised when it debuted in 2010, pulling in a healthy $274 million worldwide on a production budget of $80 million. The 2012 sequel increased its budget to $100 million, and grossed $314 million worldwide. Unfortunately for the franchise, the third film didn’t perform as well. After suffering a pre-release leak, “The Expendables 3” earned $214 million worldwide.

Although the film franchise is winding down, it was reported in 2015 that Lionsgate TV and CBS TV Studios are developing an “Expendables” television spinoff for Fox that would unite iconic TV actors for “a mission to stop a dangerous terrorist.” The status of that project is unknown.